Author: gamesogre

Mark Weber (aka GamesOgre) is a rare video game hunter & collector as well as being the founder and editor of VideoGameMuseum.com.
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Can You Fix Cheetahmen II? Kickstarter vs Dr. Morbis!

Oh Cheetahmen II…are you finally getting fixed?!

For decades, the Cheetahmen have been locked in a bitter and futile struggle against Dr. Morbis. In Cheetahmen II, every two levels a different Cheetahmen becomes available. Theoretically, a player starts with Apollo (crossbow) for the first two levels, gets to play as Aries (fists) for the third and fourth levels, and uses Hercules (dual clubs) for the fifth and sixth levels. Unfortunately, the Cheetahmen’s feline courage and ninja skills have not been enough to pass the mutant Ape Man boss at the end of the fourth level. A software bug has thwarted years of insanely skilled and strangely dedicated players from ever getting to level five. Ironically, it turns out that beating Cheetahmen II is even more rare than this holy grail of NES cartridges.

Will we finally be able to help the Cheetahmen defeat Dr Morbis?

Last week, I had the opportunity to chat on the phone with Greg Pabich find to find out about his newest project. Since I was polite enough not to record the conversation, here’s a paraphrased version of our discussion:

Mark: Hey Greg, how’s it going?

Greg: Mark, I’ve been pretty busy! I’m excited about our next Cheetahmen project!

Mark: Ha ha!? Oh dear!?!? What’ve you been up to?

Greg: Well, you know how that pallet of Cheetahmen II cartridges never made it to market?

Mark: Yeah, collectors love them, but what a frustrating game.

Greg: When Active Enterprises was about to go under, I’m guessing Vince Perri abandoned them either because money wasn’t coming in on the Action 52 like he figured or because he realized it was an incomplete game.

Mark: Yeah, you can only even play the first four levels, right?

Greg: Exactly! So here’s what I’m up to. I think the world needs to have that game up and working. Love it or hate it, it just needs to get finished and put on a cartridge.

Mark: Now that would be interesting.

Greg: The original Cheetahmen II game carts are selling for thousands of dollars now. Most collectors can’t even begin to afford them. I want to put together a playable cartridge that will have all the levels working. Apparently, it was originally designed with more levels, but it was just too buggy to let anyone play them. Once we have a working game with all its original levels working, I’d love to put them into NES collectors’ hands.

Mark: What’s the game plan going to be for doing that?

Greg: I put a small fortune into producing and distributing the Cheetahmen Creation cartridge last year. Between development, production, marketing, and selling a repaired version of Cheetahmen 2, I know it’s going to cost some serious cash.? I’m thinking Kickstarter will be a great tool to launch this project.

Mark:? That’s probably wise. Plus, from one married man to another, I have a feeling your wife might like the Kickstarter plan a bit better than trying to fund it all yourself. So, I know people love, hate, and pretty much love to hate Action 52 and Cheetahmen 2. What’s going to get people to back this project?

Greg:? Kickstarter has a great model of letting people support a project and get something unique as a thank you for their support. We have some pretty reasonable donation levels, and based on how much people donate, we’ll have things available ranging from exclusive posters to actual cartridges of the game once we get it produced.? I’ve got Mario Gonzalez, one of the original designers of Action 52/Cheetahmen involved, and he’s created some fantastic new artwork for the posters and will be signing certain items! Plus, most items will be numbered and hologram stickered as limited editions available only to contributors.

Mark: Actually, that a pretty good plan. I’m a pretty big NES collector, and this might be a much more reasonable way for me to get a copy of Cheetahmen II into my collection even if it isn’t the original. I’m guessing you could get some good buzz in collecting circles around this.

Greg: Actually, we’re going to go bigger than that. By sheer coincidence, the Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) just did a video on Cheetahmen II!

After seeing it, I contacted him to see if he?d be interested in getting involved in this. The AVGN signed on, which is going to be a ton of fun and nuts as usual! I got Pat the NES Punk involved as well. We were sponsors in his last NES Marathon, which turned out to be a huge success. Plus, the Game Chasers guys from Retroware TV are involved and basically putting it all together.

Mark: Wow, seriously, that’s an amazing lineup! Are you making any video appearances yourself?

Greg: Yeah!? It turns out that acting isn’t so easy though. I’ve finished working on my parts. The Game Chasers are putting it all together. It’s 100% top notch production and coming along nicely! I think people are going to be blown away by the AVGN, Pat, the Game Chasers, and some possible appearances of the Cheetahmen themselves?

Mark: Greg, sounds like you’re going 100% in as usual. When are you launching this?

Greg: The Kickstarter campaign should go live 8/7/2012.

Mark: And, any idea when you’re hoping to have new copies of the fixed Cheetahmen II game available?

Greg: In good Active Enterprises spirit, sticking to Vince Perri’s 3 month development window would put us in November or December. Either way, I’m guessing we should probably get this done before the world ends in 12/12/12.

Mark: Ha ha, nice! Even once it’s fixed, I’m hoping that Cheetahmen II won’t be the last NES game I ever play. But seriously, I’ve got to hand it to you. It sounds like this is going to be a ton of fun and a huge success. Best of luck with it!

Greg: Absolutely! Thanks for helping to spread the word on Cheetahmen II: The Lost Levels.

Update 8/6/2012: The Kickstarter project CHEETAHMEN II : THE LOST LEVELS is live! Best of luck Greg!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343248998/cheetahmen-ii-the-lost-levels/widget/video.html

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343248998/cheetahmen-ii-the-lost-levels

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MeatBun’s Love for the Neo Geo AES

Compared to the Neo Geo MVS arcade machine, my beloved childhood Nintendo seemed like an ant among giants. In the small Michigan town where I grew up, the only arcade in town was at the local roller rink. I was simply in awe of the MVS, and perhaps even more perplexed by the idea that some kid, in a galaxy quantum leaps away, could have a home version of the Neo Geo.

At the recent 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, I was delighted to meet Jason Rau! Not only does meatbun.us create fantastic retro gaming themed clothing, but Jason Rau is also one of the few people I’ve met who had a Neo Geo AES as a kid / young adult!

Check out this video if you also dreamed of owning Neo Geo’s home version and if you’d like to learn about the radness that is MeatBun.us. These guys make some pretty stink?n creative retro-gaming-inspired art?that conveniently takes the form of lovely t-shirts.

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Double Dragon vs Double Abobo Fists!?

So, you’re playing Double Dragon and get thumped on by a big dude named Abobo…

Do you lie awake wondering about Abobo’s back story?
Do you ask yourself if Abobo is actually ALSO fighting to save someone he loves?
Do you daydream about whether or not Abobo could fit into a Megaman suit or about whether or not he could hold his own as one of the Contra guys?

Well if you’re answered “YES” to any of these questions, you’re not alone! All the answers and more lie within Abobo’s Big Adventure!

Seriously, who would be crazy enough to rewrite NES gaming history around the Double Dragon character Abobo?! Clearly insanity and brilliance go hand in hand, because Abobo is both bad & rad enough to knock the socks of the 8-bit generation!

Our thanks to Nick and Roger from?Abobo’s Big Adventure for doing an interview with us at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con!

Interested in building your own Abobo’s Big Adventure arcade cabinet?? These guys were kind enough to include instructions here.

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Is Magneto the Perfect Pinball Villain?

Any X-Men fan knows that Magneto+metal makes for a pretty serious foe?one that very few of us would be crazy enough to tackle.? Given pinball machines? usage of steel balls, that makes him a nearly perfect villain for Stern Pinball?s newest machine.? Not only is it X-Men themed with great graphics, but its play field seems to consist of tons of great Magneto themed game play twists!? While thumping away as our favorite super heroes, we experienced enough challenge to keep pinball wizards busy at their local bar, arcade, or in their beloved game room for hours.

Additionally, I’m not sure which impressed me more, seeing a new X-Men pinball machine or realizing that Stern Pinball is still dedicated to developing new machines.? It was great to meet Waison (Go Blue!) at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con.? You’ve got to hand it to these guys for keeping pinball alive and growing!

If you haven’t already, check out this new machine at http://www.sternpinball.com

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The Harper Star Wars Collection

Who doesn’t love a good Star Wars collection?!? I recently met Thomas Harper and was able to tour his private collection. Best part is, unlike many collectors who squirrel their treasures away in closets and boxes, Thomas has dedicated the time and space within his home to display his entire collection. Plus, he was kind enough to let me photograph it and to answer some questions.

VGM: You have a ton of great Vader stuff! Why Darth Vader?

Thomas: I always liked the villains as a kid. Seeing Vader just come into battle was awesome…seriously bad ass! I’ve got a bunch of Boba Fett stuff for pretty much the same reason.

VGM: I have to hand it to you for getting your collection displayed. You must move a lot for the military. That can’t be easy for a collector, is it?

Thomas: Setting it all up is a ton of work, and the small stuff is absolutely maddening. It’s so hard to find a place for everything.

VGM: How’d you get into collecting Star Wars stuff?

Thomas: My dad was a comic book art collector. He definitely helped get me into it.

VGM: With most of your toys being from the 90s, have you ever thought about collecting the older ones as well?

Thomas: I get asked all the time, why don’t you do the vintage stuff? ?It’s a cost thing.? If I got into that, the cost would go way up.

VGM: What are you collecting now?

Thomas: I’ve hit the end of most of my figure collection. Now I’m going for autographs. They’re all personalized to me, so I know that they’re not worth much. It’s great to go to a convention and get autographs. It feels like a good accomplishment, and it’s easy to take back. At one convention I forgot that I had to mail out a big item, took a taxi and got to UPS a second before it closed. I spent $40 shipping the figure, and that’s about what I paid for it. I think it was a Micro Machines Death Star in Fort Wayne. It was nuts, I had to take a cab, mail the package, and catch a flight in less 2 hours.

VGM: While getting autographs, who was your favorite person to meet?

Thomas: I was just about to deploy to Iraq, and I got to talk to Mark Hammel. I mentioned that I was going to Iraq, and he said something like, “I’m glad you’re not going to?Afghanistan–where the empire goes to die.” When I mentioned the Iraq deployment to a tipsy Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Lando replied in a slurred but concerned tone, “That’s terrible man. That’s terrible.”

VGM: How does collecting Star Wars work out for you in dating? Has that ever worked in your favor?

Thomas: At this point, I’ve realized that I just need to put it out there. If she’s not going to be ok with it, then it’s not going to work out anyway.

VGM: From one collector to another, I’m with you on that one.

VGM: Lots of collectors collect all sorts of items. Do you collect anything besides Star Wars?

Thomas: I’ve been thinking about collecting NES stuff.

VGM: Good man… Incredible Star Wars collection! Thanks so much for the tour! Oh yeah, and if your rancor goes missing, I swear it wasn’t me.

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The Glory of the Neo Geo MVS Arcade!

Growing up in small-town America, the local roller rink was a kid’s dream. Not only could we roller skate to Ghost Busters and fall dead to a weird “Dead Bug” song, but it was the only place in town with an arcade.

The Neo Geo Romance Begins

In an era dominated by the beloved NES, arcade machines stood tall and maintained command of our curiosity and our quarters. Within the dazzling array of arcade machines, the Neo Geo created a lasting impression on me as a 10 year-old. Not only could this machine produce deeply rich visuals, but it provided fantastic, engaging game play!? Just as incredible as the Neo Geo was, we kids were equally intrigued by the idea that some rich kid could own a home version. Yet with a price tag of around $650.00, we kids simply placed the Neo Geo into the ethereal category of unattainable gaming systems.? Naturally, that made us all the more attracted to it. It was the holy grail, and the closest we’d ever come to owning a Neo Geo would be to plunk in our quarters and to buy a few minutes of time in front of our local Neo Geo MVS arcade machine.

Some twenty years later, with that same childhood dream still smoldering in the subconscious, I decided to start looking for a Neo Geo. After doing a bit of research, I realized that the Neo Geo MVS was a bit more reasonable to purchase than the home AES version.? Sure it’s a full sized arcade machine, but price and game selection won out! Armed with my trusty Craigslist app, I checked for Neo Geo items every day for about a six months before pulling the trigger…and I couldn’t be happier!

Apparently this particular MVS had a tough life in east county San Diego. However, the previous owner Lou took incredible pride in restoring this machine: painted, new decals, new joystick, buttons, plexiglass, locks, etc. Heck, he’d even added high-end cup holders to the sides (‘atta boy!). The price was right, and Lou was even cool enough to help set it up once a buddy and I trucked it over.

Moving the Service Panel

One mod that Lou hadn’t finished was the service panel mod. He had cut a 6″x6″ hole, moved the service panel to the side, and horizontally mounted it. The hole was cut quite well actually, so the door he recommended I order worked quite nicely.

Due to the depth of the door, I had to flip the panel’s mounting bracket inside out and mount it vertically so that it wouldn’t hit the door. Aside from my questionable paint job, it came out quite nicely…so pretty.

Lessons Learned

1) I seriously need to work on my painting skills.

2) Having purchased and collected countless retro gaming items and having experienced the onset of buyer’s remorse more than a few times, I have to say that my MVS has become a favorite purchase and a solid continued sense of entertainment!

3)? If you buy an MVS, introduce your wife or significant other to Puzzle Bobble. It turns out my wife both loves this game and is able to consistently destroy me in it. As they say, happy wife…happy life…and happy collecting! 🙂

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Easily Repair Your Pokemon Game Boy Color Cartridge

Want to repair your Pok?mon Game Boy Color cartridge?? Here’s our super easy guide for fixing your game and getting it to save again.

FAQ

Q: Why can’t I save my game on my old Pokemon Game Boy Color cartridge?
A: Before game systems saved games on flash memory and hard drives, games relied on lithium batteries to maintain saved games. Unfortunately, when that battery dies, so does the saved game. It’s sort of like taking the battery out of your watch. Once the battery is gone, the watch loses the time.

Q: My cartridge lets me save the game, but when I turn it on later the saved game is gone. Is my battery dead?
A: Yes, without a working battery, the game will attempt to save and then lose the saved game data after you power off your Game Boy. Bummer, huh?!

Q: Which Pokemon games does this repair method address?
A: We’ve used it to repair Pokemon Gold, Silver, Crystal, Red Version, Blue Version, and Yellow Version (Special Pikachu Edition).? It’ll also work for GBA versions too!

Q: My battery is dead. Will replacing it restore my saved game?
A: Unfortunately, when the battery dies, your saved game files are lost.

Q: My battery is old but still working, is there any way to switch the battery without losing the game save?
A: When you remove the battery, your saved game will be lost. If you’re thinking about putting in a fresh battery, you should back up your saved game to a device like a Mega Memory Card.

Q: What size battery do I need?
A: Most likely, if you’re replacing a battery for a Pokemon Game Boy Color cartridge, you’ll need a CR2025 Lithium battery.  However, some cartridges originally used a CR2016. When you remove the existing battery, you can check its labeling or for battery size information stamped on the board next to the battery.

Q: Does this repair work for Game Boy Advance Pokemon games on the GBA?
A: Yup, you can use the same method to repair Pokemon games for the GBA and GBA SP. These include Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald versions.

Q: Does this repair work for games of other systems?
A: Yes, you can use the exact same method to repair games for the Original NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, Game Boy Advance and other older cartridge based games. This is especially helpful if have an original Nintendo Entertainment System and want to fix your Legend of Zelda, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, or Tecmo Super Bowl carts. There are way too many games that use batteries than we can list for these systems. If you have one with a battery, chances are this method will work just fine.

Q: Why do you use a solderless method instead of soldering the batteries back into place?
A: Most people don’t know how to solder and don’t have any friends who do either. While we admire those people who can restore their games through the process of soldering, we want to teach this simple and effective method that most anyone can do. In our opinion, our no solder method involves less risk of having a person who is new to video game repair hurt themselves or the game cartridge. Plus, we’ve been pretty happy with the success of the no soldering method.

Q: How do I open my game cartridge?
A: Many games require security bits to open them. We suggest using a VGM Gold 3.8mm Security Bit. Just check out our security tool and battery chart to figure out which one you need.

Q: Do I really need a security bit to open my cartridge?
A: Using the correct tool is definitely the easiest and safest way to open your cartridge. However, others have gotten creative in using thin needle nosed pliers, tweezers, and even modified Bic Pens. I’ve even heard of a guy (@roxas8137) using a Dremel tool to carve a flat slot in the screw for a normal screwdriver. We suggest getting a security bits since they’re cheap, easy to use, and have lowest risk of scratching or damaging your game.

Q: How long can I expect my battery to last?
A: The easiest way to figure this out would be to take the year the game was released and to subtract that from the year the battery died. Speaking in broad terms though, the original batteries in games like Pokemon Gold (generally using CR2025) seemed to last 10-12 years or more. Amazingly, original batteries in The Legend of Zelda NES cartridges (generally using CR2032) have been know to last 25+ years! Everything seems to depend on the size of the battery (larger CR2032>CR2025>CR2016>CR1616 smaller), the quality, and the amount of drain placed on the battery. Regarding drain, games with a continuous clock or items like a Dreamcast’s VMU are always drawing power from the battery. However, a Legend of Zelda Cart simply uses its battery to maintain the saved game. If you replace your battery, it won’t last forever, but you can probably get a good number of years out of it.

Q: Can I put a CR2032 battery into a game that previously had a CR2025?
A: I typically like to replace with the exact same battery type that it originally used. Both the CR2032 and CR2025 are 3V batteries. In my understanding, the only difference is that the CR2032 is 3.2mm in thickness and the CR2025‘s is 2.5mm in thickness. Additionally, the CR2032 should give longer battery life. Proceed at your own risk if you’re going to mismatch batteries as clearance might be an issue.

Q: I tried to replace my battery, and it isn’t working. What did I do wrong?
A1: Make sure that the battery is in correctly (Positive matching + and Negative matching -).
A2: Sometimes it helps to wrap a thin strip of electrical tape around the edge of the battery. This can help to prevent a metal contact from touching both the battery’s positive and negative sizes simultaneously.
A3: Try cleaning the game and board. The metal contacts most commonly need cleaning. We suggest using a Qtip or cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or WD-40 to clean the contacts.

Q: Do I have to use electrical tape?
A: Electrical tape is nonconductive (does not conduct electricity) and is quite inexpensive to purchase. If you don’t already own some, we strongly suggest purchasing some from your local hardware store.

Q: I broke one of the brackets off. What do I do now?
A: Bummer, but you’re not out of luck.? You’ll need to solder it back on.If you do some searching on YouTube, you’ll find videos showing you the soldering method.

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Security Bit & Battery Compatibility Chart

Want to clean your video game collection?

Are you trying to repair an old game cartridge or system?

We’ve created a compatibility chart to help you find the items you’ll need.? Want a pdf version?

SECURITY BIT & BATTERY COMPATIBILITY CHART
NINTENDOGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
Original Nintendo NES3.8mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Super Nintendo3.8mm4.5mmPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Nintendo 643.8mm4.5mmPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Game Cuben.a.4.5mmTri-Wingn.a.n.a.
Wiin.a.Tri-WingTri-Wingn.a.n.a.
Virtual Boy3.8mm4.5mm1Philipsn.a.n.a.
Game Boy3.8mmTri-Wingn.a.AACR2025
Game Boy Color3.8mmTri-Wingn.a.AAAUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy AdvanceTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.AAUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy Advance SPTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.LithiumUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
DSTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DS LiteTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DSiTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DSi XLTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
SEGAGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
Master System4.5mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Genesis4.5mm2PhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
CDn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.n.a.
CDXn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.n.a.
32X4.5mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Saturnn.a.PhilipsPhilipsCR2032n.a.
Dreamcastn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032 for VMU4
Game Gear3.8mm4.5mmn.a.AAn.a.
MISCGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
TurboGrafx 16n.a.4.5mmPhilipsn.a.n.a.
TurboDuon.a.4.5mmn.a.n.a.n.a.
CHART KEY
Philips = Philips head screwdriver
Tri-wing = Tri-wing head screwdriver
1Bit may not be long enough to reach screws without removing plastic
2Works for most games
3Check game’s internal circuit board to identify the battery needed. It should be labeled either “CR2025” or “CR2016“.
4The Sega Dreamcast’s VMU requires the use of two (2) CR2032 batteries.

Additional Info: See our video cleaning and repair guides for our favorite methods for easily cleaning and repairing your retro gaming collection.

Sharing: You are welcome to share this chart in unedited form so long as you offer credit linking to VideoGameMuseum.com

Feedback: We would love your feedback!? Please send feedback and suggestions to mark{at}videogamemuseum.com simply comment below.